Manitoba meets reopening vaccine target, changes to health orders coming Wednesday
Manitoba has reached its first stage reopening criteria a week early, and the province's top doctor hinted that more information on health order changes would be coming on Wednesday.
Manitoba's reopening plan is linked to first and second-dose vaccination targets, with some restrictions loosening by Canada Day if 70 per cent of all Manitobans 12 and over have received their first shot, and 25 per cent have received their second shot.
As of Monday, 71.2 per cent of Manitobans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 25.4 per cent have received two doses, meeting the reopening criteria.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, acknowledged the province meeting its target at a news conference Monday afternoon.
"So yes, we've met those vaccine targets. So hats off to the vaccine task force and Manitobans for getting their shots, but that's only one thing we're considering when looking at our reopening plans.”
Roussin said there are still other factors to consider despite declining cases and increased vaccination rates.
"As cases do drop, we still have that strain on the health-care system, so we have to be mindful of that," he said. "We've been talking all along that whether its vaccine rates, test positivity, hospital admissions, we don't just look at one indicator when taking these things into consideration."
When pressured for more details about reopening, Roussin said more information will be coming on Wednesday.
"We have a lot of things we are still considering at this point," said Roussin. "We haven't fully decided. We haven't made that decision yet on what the specifics will be."
The province may have met its first vaccine target, but a potential shortage of Pfizer doses could derail the vaccination rate in the future since it is the only one currently approved for youth.
"Vaccine supply has always been our rate-limiting step," said Roussin. "We've met our target for our first stage of reopening plans now, and as we move forward, we are going to work with whatever vaccine we can to meet our targets."
OTHER PROVINCES REOPENING
Other prairie provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan have already announced reopening plans. Alberta plans to lift all current public health restrictions on July 1, while Saskatchewan will lift them on July 11. Despite this, Roussin said he feels no pressure to speed up Manitoba's plan.
"We are looking at our own epidemiology. I think it is certainly relevant, though," Roussin said. "We were late to the third wave, so we are weeks behind them coming out of the third wave."
Roussin said dealing with the third wave later gives the province a chance to see how other province's plans work.
"We're going to be watching very closely the successes they have with their reopening plans and if there is any increased transmission or any issues with the Delta variant," he said.
Roussin said Manitoba's reopening plan does account for the rising Delta variant since the plan was created later than other provinces.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.